2010 American Public Human Services Association. All rights reserved.

1
Continuous Improvement Plan Guide and Template, November, 2010
Continuous Improvement Plan Guide and Template

This template is designed to assist the organization in thinking about how to plan and
implement quick wins, mid-term improvements, and longer-term improvements. The template
contains the key areas that the organization should think through prior to implementing an
improvement.

This template can be used in multiple ways:

First, a leader of an organization may use the template to think independently about the
organization when planning for an improvement. The leader can use the template to ensure
they have thought through all aspects of the improvement prior to moving forward. In an
improvement situation, where leaders want to think through the steps of the improvement
plan independently, they must ensure a sound diagnosis by including senior staff and
stakeholders in the assessment phase prior to writing the plan and after the plan is
developed to obtain feedback prior to implementing it.

Second, the leader of an organization may use the template with their leadership team,
allowing the leadership of the organization to think together when planning for the
improvement.

Third, a department/unit within the organization may use the template to plan an
improvement within the department/unit, allowing all staff within the unit to clearly
understand the purpose for the improvement and the role each member of the
department/unit will plan in carrying out the improvement.

Fourth, a facilitator can use the template to guide a team from the organization through
thinking and problem solving to plan improvements within the organization prior to
implementation. The use of a facilitator allows for full participation of all team members and
to obtain insight from a third party.

Regardless of which of the above methods is utilized, the template can assist an organization in
developing an understanding of all of the things that must be thought through prior to
implementing an improvement.

Taking time to think about the organization, whether independently or as a team, is the work of
leading any organization.

2010 American Public Human Services Association. All rights reserved. 2
Continuous Improvement Plan Guide and Template, November, 2010
The objectives of the template are to help agency leaders drive quick wins, mid-term
improvements, and longer-term improvements that maintain high-quality core service delivery,
curtails or eliminates activities outside the core services, targets improvement in areas of
greatest return on investment, and identifies and eliminates inefficiencies.

Creating detailed plans for improvement that begin with a sound diagnosis of strengths and
needs, drive immediate action, detail communication actions at every step, take advantage of
quick wins, identify non-negotiable items, and leverage working teams and taskforces within the
organization help position an improvement effort for success and sustainability.

The improvement planning template is a shell format that includes elements contained in most
sound improvement plans. Users are, however, encouraged to modify this template to meet
their unique needs. The following are the minimum elements of a sound improvement plan:

Assessment of Current Situation: Findings, root causes and remedies
Rationale: Why will you implement the improvement?
Objective: What will success look like for the organization and the client?
Timeframes for Improvement Initiatives: When will the improvement take place? Will the
improvement be rapid or long term? Responsible Group: Who will be accountable for
implementing the improvement?
Activities/Task that will be engaged in to Support the Improvement: Who will do what by
when?
Overcoming Obstacles
Communicating the Improvement Effort: What will you say and to whom?
Monitoring Plan Progress: How will you chart your progress? What methods/tools will
you use?
Sustaining the Improvement Effort: How will you ensure the improvement effort
continues to be implemented? What methods/tools will you use for accountability?
Budget and Resource Implications
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Continuous Improvement Plan Guide and Template, November, 2010


Continuous Improvement Plan Template

Complete this template only after completing a thorough assessment of the
current situation. Include senior leaders and key stakeholders in the assessment
and share findings (both current strengths and challenges) to ensure a high level
of confidence in the findings, root causes, and remedies.

Brief Description: What do you intend to do?


Rationale: Why do you intend to do it (your business case)?


Objective: What will success look like for the organization and its clients?


Timeframes for Improvement Initiatives: When will the improvements take
place? Quick win improvements typically can be implemented within 0-90 days.
Mid range improvements take 3-6 months. Long range improvements take 6
months to 2 years.


Responsible Group: Who will be accountable for implementing the
improvements?


Specific Activities and Tasks: Who will do what by when?

Overcoming Obstacles:

Potential Obstacle How Well Overcome It







2010 American Public Human Services Association. All rights reserved. 4
Continuous Improvement Plan Guide and Template, November, 2010






Communicating the Improvement Effort: What will you say and to whom?
Who will deliver the message (director, managers, or supervisors)? What form
will the message be delivered in (written, verbal)? Where will the information be
shared (all staff meeting, department/unit meetings)?


Monitoring Plan Progress: How will you chart your progress? What will you
track? What methods/tools will be used?


Sustaining the Improvement Effort: How will you ensure the improvement
effort continues to be implemented? What methods/tools will you use for
accountability?


Budget and Resource Implications: Is this a no-cost low-cost effort or will
money be needed to support the improvement? If funds are needed how will
they be secured? What resources, if any, will you need and who will you need
them from?
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Continuous Improvement Plan Guide and Template, November, 2010


Improvement Plan Goals and Action Steps At-a-Glance

The following chart can be developed for each identified goal in the improvement
plan. The chart provides an at-a-glance view of the improvements committed to
in the continuous improvement process. The chart can keep everyone on the
page about the intended improvement and can assist with on-going monitoring
and evaluation of the improvement.

Goal Statement:



ACTION
STEP

BENCHMARK*
(Quality)

PERSON
RESPONSIBLE


TIMELINE

RESOURCES
NEEDED

COMPLETED